Father Figure
by Arlando
Summary: Vixy calls up Fox one day with wonderful news: James is dead, and now Fox is going to try and figure out why Vixy is so happy. Did she murder him? Or is there something else going on? The ending will blow your mind!


**Father Figure**

INTRODUCTION

This for me is quite a surprise. I decided that since it's pretty tough updating my other two fics (Beyond the Foxes Eyes and The Vixen Princess), I decided I'd show you all the story I submitted for my creative writing class, and that made me fairly well known around my school. This was first an original story, but I've gone through (via global replace) and changed the names to the names of the Star Fox characters. This is my treat to you all for being patient and waiting. I'm glad to announce that the two fics I'm working on WILL be finished someday. I'm done with the yearbook stuff (our book is finished) and so I decided I'd best get to work. But first, I need to read my own fiction again to remember what it was I was going to do. In the meantime, I've decided to pull short stories I've written and replace them with the characters from Star Fox to let you all enjoy them. It's the best I can do, and I'm going to compile them all into a short story collection, just for you all to see! Isn't that lovely?

As usual, this is an AU fic. If you've read my works before, then you KNOW I don't go by the story in the comics, video games, etc. So please, if you don't like it, don't complain that it didn't "follow the comics" or something like that. This story takes place in modern day time.

Now, after you're done with this story, I'd like you all to read the Afterward I've put here so you can see just how this story came to be. I hope you're all shocked by it, and can enjoy it. I have to warn you now, this no typical romance story by Arlando. This, I would say, is closer to "The Baby Blue Inn" in terms of genre. But I didn't much care for "The Baby Blue Inn" and this story happens to be a million times better (I received an A+ on the original story, which I wasn't expecting). Anyway, I've talked long enough. Now on to "Father Figure" a story gone down the fanfiction path to Star Fox!

The phone began ringing off the hook and it awakened me in the sense my alarm clock usually did. Eyeballing the clock, it was 5:00 in the morning. My day usually didn't start until 6:30.

I closed my eyes in hopes that the phone would stop ringing soon. If I didn't answer the caller would hang up and try again later. This was the plan anyway.

Like a crying child the phone continued to ring. I was on my feet and across the room in no time. The disturber of the peace better have a good excuse for calling me so early in the morning. I picked up the phone and yawned, "This is Fox, may I ask whose calling?"

"Fox, this is your mother," the voice came across. At least it was family. My mother, Vixy if you'd like to know.

"Hello mom. How's life?" My mother had only begun speaking to me again five years ago. It was nice to have her back in my life again. It was like nothing had ever changed.

"Fox, I've got good news."

"What is it?"

"Your father died last night," She said in a cheerful voice.

"How is that good news?" I questioned.

"Because now we can finally be a family again," she responded.

Rather than thinking of what she had just said to me I hung up the phone. _We can finally be a family again? _The words ran rampant in my mind for a moment. Perhaps it's best not to think about these things.

Looking at the clock I was only on the phone for about three minutes. There was nothing to do now except get ready for my day at work. I started through my dresser to find some clothes to wear for the day. I came across a red short-sleeved shirt and some black khaki pants to match.

I walked outside of my room and closed the door behind me. I stumbled around a bit and found the bathroom. When I was inside I looked at myself in the mirror. I had my mother's beautiful green eyes and my dad's dirty blonde hair. It made me think of my parents. Dad was dead now… and mom was happy? It made little sense really, but then again, my parents were very strange.

I started the shower and stepped into the waterfall to cleanse myself, still thinking of what my mother said. _We can finally be a family again. _What did that mean? Did that mean dad was the reason our family crumbled fifteen years ago?

Our family had its moments and I was able to let them go from time to time but mom being happy and excited about dad's death puzzled me.

Then reality began to set in. What exactly had I done with my dad? I tried to think up memories and nothing came to mind. Was our relationship that bad that there was nothing good to remember?

As my shower came to an end, I wrapped myself in a towel, the phone began ringing again. It was probably my mother again. First she'd scold me for hanging up on her and then tell me why dad's death is a joyous occasion. I didn't want to hear that crap right now.

As with before, the phone wouldn't stop ringing. _Who calls before six in the morning anyway? _I was sure whoever it was would get the memo and hang up the phone… unless it was mom, then it would never stop.

I finally answered the phone in my kitchen where another clock read 5:20 A.M. I picked up the phone and once again I heard the cheery voice of my mother.

"Why did you hang up on me?" She asked.

"Because you were happy," I sighed. "Why are you so happy?"

"We can be a family again. We haven't been a family for fifteen years, you know."

"I know mom," I said as I made my way to the teapot and started pouring water inside.

"But why did we stop in the first place?"

"What do you mean, 'why did we stop?' Don't you remember what happened?"

"I remember being left in a hospital bed."

"We couldn't get to you," She replied calmly.

"Mom, can we talk about this later? I've got to finish getting ready for work," I told her and set the teapot on the stove and turned it on.

"I thought school began at eight?"

"Well, I don't usually get up at five!" I exclaimed with a touch of anger in my voice. "I might as well show up early now, don't you think?"

"You're angry with me aren't you?" She alleged. "Are you still mad at your father for what he did to you?"

"I'm still mad that both my parents abandoned me in a hospital when I was twelve."

"I said I was sorry. There was no way we could get to you," She repeated.

"Mom, I've got to go now. I don't want to talk about this anymore," I said and before another word was spoken I hung up the phone.

What happened fifteen years ago had come to pass, but it was still depressing to think about.

The water in the teapot began to boil so I poured myself a fresh cup of hot water and dipped a tea bag into it. It was now 5:25. I still had another hour to kill before the school actually opened. Maybe I should've gone back to bed and awakened at my usual time.

Silence filled the kitchen now. The only sounds I could hear were the ticking of the clock and my own breathing…

I went back to my room and grabbed the lesson plan out of my bag. I fell onto my bed and took out my clipboard and pen. Attached to the clipboard were endless sheets of paper. I took my pen and wrote on top: Ten Things I Hate About My Father. Now where to begin the list?

I was plopped on my bed for what seemed like hours and couldn't even put one item on the list. There was only one thing I could think of: my dad beat me. It was all I could put.

Then the memories flowed back.

Suddenly I'm twelve years old again. A fist is slammed into my jaw and my father's finger is in my face, "DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT ME AGAIN! As long as you're in my damn house you'll respect me and do things my way!" My father screamed. Tears were streaming down my face and I could no longer feel my jaw. I had already had a bad enough day and as with every bad day, it only got worse.

"I'm sorry," I cried, but it wasn't good enough. Apparently he had a bad day too.

Mom wasn't home and it made me worry about my own well-being.

"Don't apologize to me! And wipe those tears up! I didn't raise a little girl! Be a man son!"

I'd heard this before and I was sick of hearing it. Hearing it now made me snap. I can't let him get away with this all the time! "You know when parents get upset, they spank their children they don't bruise them!" I screamed at him, "but every time I screw up you have to punch me or backhand me across the face… why!"

Once more his fist crossed my face. "Don't speak to me with that tone! Do you think I enjoy hitting you? I don't enjoy it at all!"

"Then why don't you stop?"

"Because there's no other way to get through to you! I tell you not to leave your dishes lying around the house! Do you listen? Absolutely not! I tell you to answer me by 'Yes sir' and you always answer me with that 'What!' tone! I tell you to clean your room; you go downstairs and play those damn games and watch those damn movies! You should be glad I let you keep that crap you have down in your room!"

I didn't say anything more, and for that I felt the pain of his fist again. "What was that for?" I screamed at him… and that was a big mistake.

"Don't you raise your voice at me! That was for being a disrespectful little runt! You don't get it from me; you must get it from your mother."

I wasn't about to back down now. I couldn't control myself any longer. Before I knew what was going on my fist flew into my dad's face and smacked his nose. Blood rushed down his face and he wiped it away. "Have you lost your damn mind!"

"Maybe!" I snapped furiously.

Now my father tackled me and I was on the ground. "Don't you EVER do that again! If you do that again I will kill you!"

I spit in his face and he screamed. He pressed all his weight on me and wrapped his hands around my neck and started squeezing. Was this really the price to pay for having a bad day?

As dad strangled me, mom walked in. She rushed upstairs screaming, "James! Get off of him!" That was all I remembered before I blacked out.

If I hadn't told him he didn't understand me, none of this would've happened.

I woke up in the hospital about a week later. I had been in a coma. The doctor walked in. "Good morning, I'm Dr. Peter," He acknowledged. "You had quite a fall didn't you?"

"Quite a fall?"

"Yes, your father tells me you fell down the stairs and hit your head on the railing pretty hard. We had put in a few stitches but otherwise you're okay."

"Where's my mom?"

"Oh, I'm sure your parents will be here in a while."

But they never came… and I had to leave the hospital. I was sent to the orphanage to wait for either my real parents, or foster parents.

For six years I waited… and six years, nobody came.

I had to leave the orphanage at eighteen. I never found out what became of my parents.

I opened my eyes and now the clock read 7:30. I must've fallen asleep. I looked over my list and still only had the one reason. I tore off the paper and realized I should be leaving by now.

I grabbed my keys and began out the door when the phone rang for the third time. _Does she ever quit?_ I asked myself.

I picked up the phone and immediately screamed, "Leave me alone, I'm going to work now!"

"Son you haven't changed one bit," A stern voice announced.

I could no longer feel my legs. I tried to move but there was an uncontrollable force keeping me in place. "Dad, is that you?"

"How are you son? I'm on my way to visit you right now. Don't leave the house."

"But I need to go to work and--"

"--You can take one day off can't you?"

"Not now, I can't. I've only got an hour."

"I want to have breakfast with you. I want to make amends for what happened fifteen years ago. The incident that placed you in the hospital. I'll be at your house in five minutes."

I couldn't say no now. "Alright, old man," I couldn't believe I was speaking to my dad. The man I hadn't spoken to in fifteen years. …The man who I learned just died two and half hours ago. Now nothing made sense. I hung up the phone and sat down on the couch, awaiting his arrival. What just happened?

The doorbell rang and as I anticipated it was him. I looked at him sternly and opened my mouth with no words to speak of.

He looked pretty good; age hasn't slowed him down one bit. "Son I want to apologize for all that happened. The beatings were just me overreacting… I suppose you won't understand until…" His breath stopped cold.

"Can we just go?" I snapped and suddenly felt twelve again.

"Sure, we can go."

We went to eat at the local Village Inn. We sat in the smoking section as usual and dad looked for the words he wanted to say. I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't force the words out.

"So how's Vixy?" he asked.

"Mom's good," I answered. "How have you been?"

"I've been good. You're probably still mad at me for how I messed up your childhood though. I can't blame you. You know I never had a father myself. I didn't know how to go about discipline."

"You were rough, but I'm past that now," I replied. "Mom called this morning you know."

"Oh, she did? Did she tell you I was coming?"

"No, she said you were dead and that it was good news." I sighed heavily and asked, "What's going on? Why didn't you and mom pick me up from the hospital fifteen years ago?"

"Son, I have no idea what you're talking about. We couldn't pick you up because we couldn't get to you then."

I was confused and dazed for a second. "No, you abandoned me."

"Do you even remember what happened that day?" Father asked.

"I remember you beating me to a pulp and I blacked out as you were strangling me."

"Precisely. But do you remember what happened _after_ that?" I looked at him quizzically and slowly shook my head. "You didn't black out, you simply fought back. I couldn't control you, even when you're mother dragged me off you. You came at me in a furious rage and tripped and fell down the stairs. You hit the rail and wouldn't get up."

"The doctor told me I hit my head… but that doesn't explain anything."

"I blame myself for that incident," Dad sighed, holding his head down in shame, with tears swelling in his eyes. I'd never seen him cry before. "If I hadn't overreacted you would have still been around for the past fifteen years."

"Been around?" I asked.

"Your mother and I took you to the hospital and the doctor couldn't save you. You died in the hospital bed from your head wound."

"I died?"

"Yes, Fox, you died. Ten years later your mother grieved so much she killed herself."

"Then that means…"

"Correct," my father smiled, "we're all dead now. We can be a family again."

AFTERWARD

Alright, the creation of this story. This is a slapped together afterward. I'm not telling you how I created it to sound cute, or to sound like a great writer. I'm telling you this because it happens to be my personal favorite short story (It was also the first completely original story I wrote before I changed the names to suit Starfox).

Anyway, Creative Writing had its moments. We had to create a list of our fears. Well, on my list I happened to have my father and the afterlife. To tell you the truth, I hated trying to put those two different things together. I tried to avoid going down that path. So I figured I'd at first do a story about a man and woman who were husband and wife. The husband was going to have died in a car wreck and the wife was going to mourn. Then his ghost would come back and she'd be happy... until he killed her. "'Til Death do us part indeed," he had said. I had two problems with that. One, it was way too overdone, even for me. Second, our assignment could only be eight pages long (double spaced of course) and that story turned out to be far longer than that. Back to the drawing board.

Well, after watching _The Sixth Sense, _I had my idea! It's pretty obvious most of my ideas coming from lots of books (The Baby Blue Inn) and watching a lot of movies. For example, without _Beauty and the Beast_, there is no _Behind the Foxes Eyes. _

Books and movies tend to be great magic. So I decided what I was going to do. A story about a character who was already dead! In the original version, for those of you who loved _Behind the Foxes Eyes, _the main character's name was Shane. I've always liked him, and it seems even after finishing the fic he started in three years ago, I'm not ready to let him go.

Anyway, I've yapped on enough. Creative Writing helped me write the story, but it was fanfiction that inspired me to write. I just wanted you all to see how far it took me. My extra special thanks goes out to those who read _Behind the Foxes Eyes. _I'm proud to say that my two fics will be updated within the next two weeks. I'm no longer busy anymore (I was in twelve clubs, Yearbook and the school's Broadcasting team. I've been a busy boy), but you'll have to give me time to re-read what I previously wrote. I have to slip back into the world again.

Read, review, and enjoy.

Sincerely,  
Arlando


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